Spring into Summer
Alan Titchmarsh on how his new series has put a spring in his step...
EASTER MONDAY / ITV Our Picture Editor, Natalie, has done a magnificent job on this week’s cover shoot with ‘Chick’ (our interview request was politely declined) and his good friend Alan Titchmarsh.
Alan tells us about his celebration of spring, summer and all they have to offer on
They say never work with animals. But, always the consummate professional, Alan Titchmarsh proved a natural and was more than happy to share the limelight with a cute and fluffy little chick during
TV Times’ egg-clusive photo shoot to celebrate the Easter holiday.
The beautiful snaps were taken – while adhering to socialdistancing guidelines, of course – on location at Manor Farm in Hampshire, where Alan films his hit Sunday-morning ITV magazine show, Love Your Weekend.
Following the success of that series, this week sees the popular presenter return to the postcardperfect nature reserve for a brandnew prime-time show, Alan Titchmarsh: Spring into Summer, which starts on Easter Monday.
The nine episodes will showcase the delights to be found in this inspirational season, from frolicking lambs to glorious green spaces, plus a host of celebrity guests will be popping by to join in the fun.
A few days after our photo shoot,
TV Times caught up with Alan, 71, via Zoom. Chatting to us from a beautiful room with wood beams that overlooks his splendid garden, he tells us about his love for spring, his Easter traditions and the healing power of the great outdoors...
The photo shoot was lovely... We were really lucky with a nice bit of weather. Manor Farm is a lovely place to make programmes. I like being there and there’s a great sense of relaxation for our guests, too. For the photographs with the chick, we had various stunt doubles! [Laughing] It’s amazing the moments that they relieve themselves. We had wet wipes, and used all of them! I’m looking forward enormously to Spring into Summer… I’ve been thrilled at the way Love Your Weekend has taken off and that people enjoyed it. To be able to carry it on with a half-hour show between two Coronation Street episodes on Monday evenings is lovely, particularly from Easter into summer. I’m hoping it will help take people out of themselves – if you don’t have a bit of countryside you can go into, we’ll bring it to you.
The new show’s themes are country living and backgarden living… However tiny your patch is, we’ve got lots of ideas for how to use outside space as an outdoor room, and we will be showing how to do that. I feel so strongly, especially at the moment, about how important the outdoors is to us. It’s a safety valve; it’s solace; it’s a spiritual uplift; and it’s also a great asset in terms of mental health.
Viewers can expect a Monday-night fix of lambs, chickens and heaven knows what
else! We can’t all have a cow or a pig, but it’s fascinating to learn about them. I love when we do chickens! It’s an outdoors programme, not a gardening programme, but gardening will be a part of it. The garden is not just something to tidy and sweep up; it’s enriching. I hope people are stimulated to grow their own food. Not to be self-sufficient, but just to be in the garden, make it pretty, brighten it up with flowers and lift the spirits.
There will be surprises along the
way, too… I can’t tell you too much at the moment, but I can say we have some nice celebrity guests lined up to tell us what they like about the outdoors. The first episode features Alison Steadman, and it’s going to be a classic Easter show with lambs, and she’ll be involved in what we’re doing. Guests in later episodes include Twiggy, Michael Ball, Ainsley Harriott and Julie Hesmondhalgh. IT’S GOING TO BE A CLASSIC EASTER
SHOW We’ve got great contributors… When Tom Davis from Mudchute Farm comes in, I often find myself thinking, ‘Gosh, I never knew that!’ Our carpenter, Wayne Perrey, is making an arbour for the garden, which we’ll see take shape over three weeks – it won’t all be bish-bash-bosh, done! And there are some country crafts as well.
I love this time
of year! When I look out of my window at the weeping willow and little bits of green coming up, it’s so uplifting. There is a feeling of optimism.
I’m suddenly aware that my shoulders have gone down a bit. For me, it’s one of the most pleasurable times of year.
Tulips are my favourite spring
flower… I love it when snowdrops come up, and then we get the glorious daffodils, but I can’t wait for the tulips. They’re such beautiful, statuesque flowers, and come in so many different colours. I can’t tell you how many different varieties I have. I have tubs all over my garden. Bung them in a large flower pot in October or November, stand back, wait, and up they come!
I’ve fond childhood memories
of Easter… I was a choirboy, so Easter was a busy time! If the weather’s nice, and the daffs are out, there’s this great feeling of a celebration of nature. Normally, it’s very much a family time for us. I have two daughters and they’ve each got two children, and we have an Easter-egg hunt. When you’re a grandfather, you can preside benignly over the excitement. This Easter, hopefully, we’ll be able to say ‘Hello’ outside, because we all live quite close to each other.
I enjoy the chocolate side
of Easter… A little too much sometimes! I do like chocolate. I have a couple of squares every evening, but sometimes it turns into about six!
In my own garden I really have to make myself sit
down… That’s because, for me, the involvement in doing is pleasure. I love sowing seeds and planting. But when I do sit and look, I enjoy watching plants grow and I’ve got a lovely view out of my window here of daffs and a wildlife pond – there are two ducks on it at the moment getting very amorous because it’s spring! I couldn’t be without my garden. It grounds me, literally. A garden is rather like making a good friend.
ELAINE REILLY